The invention relates to a combine harvester with a grain tank having an upper opening and a foldable attachment. The foldable attachment is disposed on the upper opening and has two opposing, one-piece, flat attachment parts and two opposing, multiple-component, flat attachment parts. The attachment parts are swivellably disposed on the upper edge of the upper opening of the grain tank, are swivellably connected to one another and, in lying-flat, closed positions, form a cover, which at least partially closes the opening. The attachment parts additionally, in erected filling positions, increase the volume of the grain tank.
As is known, the grain tanks of combine harvesters are equipped with grain tank attachments having a plurality of side panels. The known side panels can be moved from closed positions into opened positions, and vice versa. During travel on the road, the side panels are folded into a closed position, thereby forming a cover and saving space, in order not exceed a specified overall height of the combine harvester. During operation on the field, the side panels are each raised into the opened positions thereof in order to increase the volume of the grain tank, thereby making it possible extend the intervals at which the grain tank is emptied.
For example, EP 1 564 157 A2 discloses a known combine harvester that includes a foldable attachment having two opposing, multiple-component attachment parts and two opposing, one-piece attachment parts. The multiple-component attachment parts each comprise two fold-in triangles, between which a center part is disposed, to which center part the fold-in triangles are connected by hinges. The multiple-component attachment parts of the attachment extend transversely to the direction of travel of the combine harvester and, in the lying-flat, closed position thereof, come to rest underneath the opposing, one-piece attachment parts. The dimensions of the opposing, one-piece or multiple-component attachment parts are selected such that each one is located in a plane in the lying-flat, closed position thereof, i.e., the face sides of the one-piece or multiple-component attachment parts adjoin one another in an opposed arrangement. The attachment parts are interconnected via hinges.
The hinged interconnection ensures that the attachment parts are forcibly guided upon transition from the closed position into the filling position, and vice versa. Due to the rectangular cross section of the grain tank (the extension of which is greater transversely to the direction of travel than in the direction of travel), the one-piece attachment parts are wider than the multiple-component attachment parts. It follows that the additional volume that can be obtained via the attachment with the attachment parts in the erected filling position is limited by the height of the multiple-component attachment parts. This is limited, in turn, by the arrangement of the multiple-component attachment parts in the closed position and by the forced guidance of the attachment parts.